


Meeting Like This

by Bakageta



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:49:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bakageta/pseuds/Bakageta
Summary: For the first time since it crashed on this dirtball, its host’s body soothes instead of burns.The new host, Eddie the last fevered gasps of Maria’s mind had called him, is perfect, and the symbiote plans to keep him for as long as it can.
Relationships: Eddie Brock & Venom Symbiote, Eddie Brock/Venom Symbiote
Comments: 7
Kudos: 119
Collections: SYMBRUARY





	Meeting Like This

**Author's Note:**

> For Symbruary days 3 & 4: Getting there.
> 
> Huge thanks to sajastar for betaing!

Initially, it pounds Maria's hands against the glass because it wants out. That it will most likely be exchanging one terrible host for another is of little consequence. It will endure whatever it has to so long as it can get out. So long as it can put distance between itself and the prison it landed in. So it can give itself time to recover before recommitting to the plan.

Focus solely on the new host on the other side of its enclosure, it pays no attention to the words Maria is screaming. She has taken over beating on the glass, one last burst of adrenaline giving both her and it strength. It braces itself as the new host attacks the glass. It holds firm against the pain of the alarm and uses Maria to lunge.

Then, after it uses the last of Maria’s strength to bring the new host to the ground, after it grabs the soft meat of the new host’s throat, and after it pours out of Maria's arms, heedless of any damage, it finds that the expected burn of histological incompatibility is absent.

The first, probing hyphae reveal that the new host is either a perfect match or severely immunocompromised. Considering that the new host was able to break through glass that Maria’s weakly controlled limbs could not, a match seems far more likely. So it batters its way into the new host. Any superficial damage can be repaired later, if necessary, but it finds that it does not have to. This new host's flesh melds easily with its own.

For the first time since it crashed on this dirtball, its host’s body soothes instead of burns. The tissues do not welcome it, but they do accept it with the beginnings of only the most generalized inflammatory responses. And even that is good, providing it with warmth and fluids, confirming the presence of an immune system that can be accustomed to its presence.

The new host, Eddie the last fevered gasps of Maria’s mind had called him, is perfect, and the symbiote plans to keep him for as long as it can.

* * *

They need to act quickly, before Anne can struggle enough to upset their tentative balance. She's a good host, powerful and willful, but she does not mesh well with it. Without a shared goal she would fight against the bond until it would have no choice but to damage her. They do not want that.

On the way back to Eddie, it told itself that practicality drove the decision. Why keep a strong, compatible host that will fight against you when you can have one that cooperates?

That changes while they stalk the guards leading Eddie. The longing it feels for Eddie as he struggles and snarks and insults is far beyond practicality, and they realize that it wants to apologize to Eddie. Anne does not want to--does not need to--but she knows how to, and that muddles them long enough for Eddie and the guards to reach their destination.

Something about the sight of Eddie knelt before three armed security guards is offensive to both of them. It is a mixed feeling of soft propriety--my Eddie--and of sympathy--oh no, Eddie--that it has never felt before, and they do not have the time to sort through.

They both make the decision to act, but it is the one who chooses to kill and eat the guards instead of maim them.

 **"Hi, Eddie,"** it says while Anne is caught up in what they just did.

"Venom?" Eddie asks, and it does not bother correcting him. He will have time to learn if he lets it apologize.

It does not have the words to ask Eddie’s forgiveness, has only learned the sentiment hours ago, but it can guess at the actions. It knows everything its hosts know, even if it has no context, and Eddie and Anne both remember touches: hands on shoulders, arms wrapping tight around the other’s chest, kissing.

They’re in too much of a rush for it to build up to anything. No time for finding words, for touching, or for hugging. With Eddie safe, Anne wants it gone. It shares her sentiment.

It grabs Eddie and lifts him up to their face, Anne giving it guidance out of reflex, and kisses him.

The majority of it flows into Eddie through the mucous membranes of his mouth and throat, and this time his tissues welcome it. There’s a feeling of relief at its return that is not just just its own, two beings finding respite in each other. It wants so badly to linger in this moment as long as it can, to draw Eddie into it, to be Venom together in this moment.

But then Eddie clumsily shoves memories at it ( _he’s restrained, being talked at by human slime, being screamed at by the ugliest thing he’s ever seen, and, oh, things are going wrong fast_ ), and all its wants get put aside. It is going to need to fight if it wants to have a chance to keep Eddie. If it wants to be Venom.

* * *

Venom separates into their component parts when they hit the water. The currents buffet the remains of the symbiote as Eddie reflexively swims to the surface. It can not keep track of him. The motion of water, crashing of debris, and intermittent explosions blind it. It is lost in buffeting sensation for a few painfully empty moments before a hand grabs what is left of its damaged mass.

It realizes Eddie is holding it after it oozes through the fingers in a reflexive assessment. The symbiote clings to Eddie’s forearm with what strength it has left, trying not to hinder his swim to shore. It had expected to die, and now that it has survived, it feels unmoored.

There is a certain temptation to burrowing into Eddie’s arm and falling into dormancy before he has a chance to reject it. Not that it thinks he will. It apologized, it saved him, saved his planet. He reached out for it.

But _“We’re through!”_ still echoes through its memory. It does not know how to manage the insidious ‘what if?’ that has taken root within it.

Eventually, Eddie crawls out of the bay and throws himself bonelessly on to the sand. He lists, rolling from his side to his back, and clutches the arm the symbiote clings to against his chest.

The air is cool and wet now, and there is no sound except for the breeze over the bay and distant crackling of fire. They are alone in the sand as far as the symbiote can sense. It has some time before it dries enough to worry about the atmosphere, and the symbiote spends it circling thoughts it never knew how to have until Eddie.

“Don’t tell me I need to put you in my mouth.” Eddie’s voice rumbles against it and spurs it into action.

 **No.** The symbiote sinks into Eddie’s chest with a burgeoning hope, and this time his mind reaches purposefully for it as his body welcomes it back.

“Then why…” Eddie is too tired to finish out loud, but he closes his eyes and shows it clumsy flashes of memory. Tackled backwards and fighting against the pressure on his neck and mouth and nose and eyes. Lifted up, lips caught by an alien mouth that faded apologetically into his ex fiance’s.

 **Easier.** It is not a lie, but it is also not entirely true. Another thing it has learned.

“Okay,” Eddie agrees, and it can feel him wanting to ask questions.

Instead he flattens the hand that had held it over his sternum and looks up into the sky. From this angle they cannot see the burning wreckage--only the swirling fog--and Eddie exhales.

“We did it,” Eddie says.

**We did.**

It is a new feeling, like part of a whole fitting into place, not just wanted but necessary.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please leave a comment or kudos!
> 
> Hit me up on [tumblr](https://bakageta.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
